managing software development projects

Delegates will learn
  • How to define success criteria for IT projects
  • How to initiate complex IT projects
  • How to manage risk associated with IT projects
  • How to plan & control IT projects
  • How to recover failing IT projects
  • How to manage IT project teams
Style

An intensive 5-day workshop with a mix of discussion and practical work that will provide delegates with the opportunity to practice the skills learned through the medium of an in-depth IT project case study.

Target audience

IT Project Managers and IT staff who regularly work on projects.

Topics

SETTING THE SCENE

  • Introduction
  • Business drivers for effective project management
  • Profile of an effective Project Manager
  • Personal assessment (preliminary)

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

  • Defining Success
  • Gaining Buy-in
  • Self-assessment (initial)

PROJECT INITIATION

  • Initiation Activities
  • Using a structured approach

DEFINING TERMS OF REFERENCE

  • Defining TOR
  • Using the 7-stage approach
  • Validating TOR
  • Using TOR during the project lifecycle

MANAGING STAKEHOLDERS

  • Identifying Stakeholders
  • Stakeholder Mapping
  • Producing a Stakeholder Management Plan

PROJECT ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Defining the key project team roles
  • Allocating responsibilities
  • Using a Responsibility Matrix

RISK MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

  • Defining risk
  • Types of risk
  • Project risk versus business risk
  • Using a 3-stage approach
  • Running risk workshops
  • Ongoing risk management

PROJECT STRUCTURES

  • Defining a project structure
  • Examining commonly used structures
  • Project lifecycles versus development lifecycles
  • Benefits of a project structure
  • Creating a Work Breakdown Structure
  • Understanding Product Breakdown Structures
  • Two-level planning

ESTIMATING METHODS

  • Common problems with estimating
  • Using work distribution models
  • Creating a standard task matrix
  • Estimating using the WBS
  • The Delphi estimating technique

PLANNING METHODS

  • The steps of planning
  • Using dependency networks
  • Planning for contingency
  • Planning for control
  • Using planning tools

PROJECT CONTROL

  • Defining project control
  • The 4-stage process
  • Time & cost control
  • Quality control
  • Change control

PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS

  • Types of communication
  • Producing a communications strategy

LEADERSHIP VERSUS MANAGEMENT

  • Definitions
  • Personal leadership styles
  • Situational Leadership
  • Personal motivation

MOTIVATING THE PROJECT TEAM

  • Overview of motivational theory
  • Putting the theory into practice
  • Situational Motivation

COACHING THE PROJECT TEAM

  • Coaching versus mentoring versus training
  • Using a 5-stage model for coaching
  • Using a 3-stage model for giving feedback
  • Coaching opportunities in projects

WINNERS PROJECT MANAGEMENT GAME™

  • Developing the Project Strategy
  • Acquiring Project Deliverables
  • Testing the Project Strategy
  • Review

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

  • Key learning points
  • Action planning